Apparatus for separating materials of different specific gravities



NOV. 3

T. M. CHANCE APPQRATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES Filed July 7, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l NN RN have/1Z0! 121mm 1 6M Mln essay:

jv 4* WW Nov. 3 1925. 1,559,938

M CHANCE T. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIE'S Filed July '7, 1922 3 Sheets-Shut 2 Flcafl H I Li Q g \l A 1,559,938 T. M. CHANCE APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS 0? DIFFERENT Nov. 3, 1925.

SPECIFIC (IRAVITIES 7 Filed July '7, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 mne&ses:

aw a assisted in the preservation o To allwlrpmitmay concern."

ties and fluidity.

Patented Nov. 3, I925. 4

UNITED STATES rnoxas x. canrca, on l mma-1.3% raunsxnvmra.

O FFIC arrana'rus roa sarmzrme n'r'namas or Din-annual: sr'acrrm aaavrnns. I

Application fled July 7, ma. Serial No. was-11f fect the flotation of that portionof said materials of lower specific gravity.

By the term fluid mass I meanto include any mixture of liquid and comminuted solids substantially insoluble therein, which can be made to approach the properties and fluidity of a true liquid and which requires agitation for. such approach to said proper In carrying out mgepresent method the apparatus used ma greatly varied and the accompanying rawings are merely representative of the general association of.ele-- ments necessary to .the operation of said.

method.

A characteristic of my invention is that the fluid mass, which I use as a-vehicle of high specific gravity for-the separation of materials of diflerent specific gravities, is

its fluidic properties by the direct application of energy in the receptacle which contains said fluid mass during the separatory process,v said assistance being secured through the urther rotation -ofsaid receptacle. A characteristic of my invention is that the means emploged for removing the separated material of igh specifidgravity from the body of the fluid mass maybe caused to function both as a conveying e1 ment and as a further means tothe maintenance of the fluidity tion of said receptacle.

' lustrated diagrammatlcally three types of?" In the accompanymgdrawings I have ilapparatus to carry out my method. Fig. I is a combined vertical andcrosssectional view, on the lines X-- -X and YY' of Fig. -II,:of'apparatus in which. rotationv of the receptacle containing. the fluid .mass causes the conveying elements for removing the separated materials, of both hi h specific gravity'and low specific gravity, rom said of said fluid mass by th'e\r otafluid mass, to'function; II'is a trans- ;verse vertical cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in Fig. I, on the line ZZ thereof. Fig. III is a longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view of an .a paratus in which the separated material 0 low specific gravit is removed from these aratin receptac e by anoverflow and t at of igh- -s ec fic gravity by a conveying element, 1n. t is case a worm, adapted to 'function by the rotation of saidreceptacle. -Fig. IV is awlongitudinal vertical cross-sectional view of apparatusin which bothconveying ele ments function by the rotationofthe separatingv receptacle, these conveyin" "elements for the separated materials of -hi specific gravitiv both being .of t einternal worm t pe. i-g. V is a transverse crosssectiona view of the apparatus shown in Fig. IV on theline W-W thereof. In the several drawings parts. s

In the drawing, Fig. I, 1 indicates 9. cylindrical separating receptacle, supported by rollers 2 at either end, rotation of said rum andllow like numbers indicate like being secured through operation of worm gear 3, attached to roller shaft 4, driven by worm shaft 5. The axis of said drum 1 may be horizontal asshown or inclined.

The conveying elements for removing the separated materials of high and low specific gravity are shown at 6' and 7 respectively, comprising perforated drum 1 and forming with the casing of drum; 1 and division lates v11 elevator buckets integral with sa1d drum. Circular division plates 11, rigidly attached to drum 1, serve to divide sa1d drum into two compartments, one of these compartmentsformplates secured to' mg conveying element 6 and also the sepa- -Sai conveyingelements 6 and 7 discharge into chutes 8 and 9 respectively, the fall of the separated materials from the buckets being cushioned by baflies 10. These bafiles land chutes are shown as perforated plates,-

theportions 'of fluidmass -mixed with or. adhering to thef separated materials being thus permitted to ass throughthe perforations and collects by chutes 12,th1s .action being assisted bysprays provided by'spray pipes 13. The separated floating'materials .of low specific gravity 'areflirevented from enteringthe biiekets of conveying element 6 by wing plates -14; and 15, these wing rating compartment and the other of these compartments forming conveying element 7.

pieces of material of high specific gravity which might protrude from the buckets during their passage thereunder. A feed chute 18 is attached to the stationary wings 14 and 15 and stationary water overflows 19, 19 are provided for collecting the water discharging from the drum 1. Fluid mass chutes 12, stray pipes 13, feed chute 18 and water overflows 19 have not been illustrated in Fig. I for the sake of greater clarity in thedrawing.

Drum 1 is provided with jet p1pes,20,

these pipes being rigidly attached thereto and communicating with central feed pipes 21 receiving hydraulic water. from sleeve 22, which rotates on fixed journal 23, pro

vided with water inlet 24 and water inlet ports 25. Water inlet ports-25 are spaced around a portion of the circumference of journal 23 and thus act as valves to cut off the supply 'of pi 'es 21 during a portion of a the revolution 0 drum 1. The jet pipes 20 may thus be made to function as agitating means for assistance in preserving the fluid ity o'f the fluid mass during that portion of the revolution from the entrance of said ipes into the top of the fluid mass, shown 1n the drawings. as the line BB, until they leave said to at the opposite side of the apparatus. hese jet pipes will then function as spray pipes for washing ofl the portions of fluid mass adhering to the separated materials until the drum has revolved to a point at which said separated materials are discharged from said conveying elements 6 and 7, such point being in-the vicinity of the to of said drum. The further revolution 0 the drum from this latter point to that of re-entrance into the top of the fluid mass will not require the issuance of water from these pipes, and sleeve 22 acting in conjunction with ports 23 may therefore be arranged to cut off the sufpply of water during this latter portion 0 the revolution. It will of course be understood that such valved action is not essential to the operation of the apparatus and may, if

desired, be dispensed with, or that any other desired distribution of the water may be effected by changing the position of the inoperated in groups of three from feedpipes 21, the sprays issuing from said jet pipes being designed to flow rearwardly so as to assist in washin the materials out of the next succeeding ucket as shown by directional lines C in Fig. I, and the feed pipes 21 are provided w1th check valves 26 to prevent reversal of flow when water is cut off by the valved action of ports 25. \It will be understood that appropriate chutes may be provided for returning the fluid mass from chutes 12 to the body thereof contained in drum 1, the return of such portions of said fluid mass bein' accompanied by the removal of particles w ich it may be desirable to remove therefrom, such as large pebbles, particles of high s cific gravity, particles of ve low speci c gravity, etc. if this be advisa le.

. The operation of the method when designed to employ this ap aratus in conjunction with the method 0 separating materials of diflerent specific gravities described and claimed in U. S. Patent 1,224,138,. May 1, 1917, toThomas M. Chance in that particular embodiment designed for the washing of coal is as'follows:

Assuming drum 1 to be filled to the line B-B with a fluid mass composed of an agitated mixture of comminuted insoluble solid the jet pipes 20. I such a fluid mass be so maintalned in a fluidic condition and at a densit suflicient to float the coal and permit t e refuse to sink,that is at a. denthrough feed chute 18, the refuse will sink into conveying element 6 and will be removed by rotation of drum 1 from the body of the fluid mass. Tendency of the coal floating at the top of said fluid mass to float into the buckets of said conveying element is prevented by wing plates 14 and 15 and-tendenc 0f the refuse to travel into the clean coa compartment is prevented by division plate 11 forming one side of the conveying element '6.

The clean coal floating at or near the top of the fluid mass passes over division plate 11, into-the clean coal-conveying element 7 and is removed from the fluid mass by the rotation of the drum in the same manner as the refuse, the conveying element 7 serving to' this end. The separated refuse and coal are discharged from conveying elements 6 and -7 respectively over bafiles 10 into chutes 8 and 9, leaving theapparatus in the direction of the arrows. Portions of the fluid mass still adhering to the separated refuse and coal are removed by spray ter may i 13 assing through the'perforated oiisdms chutes 8 and 9 into chutes '12, the solid constituent of such portions being returned to the fluid mass contained in drum 1, if this is desired. If desired, a su rimposed body of water may be carrie on this body of water acting as a washin agent as described and claimed in U. Patent 1,392,399 October 4,1921, to Thomas M. Chance.

In the drawing, Fig. III 1 indicates an inclined cylindrical drum adapted to be rotated about its axis said drum being filled, approximately to the line B-B, with the flllld. mass, and being supported on rollers- 2', adapted to be driven by worm gear 3', attached to shaft 4, and driven by worm drive 5'. As noted in the description 'of Figs. I and II, a'su rimposed body of'wabe carried above the fluid mass, if desirable,the top of such a body, being shown by the line A-A.

In this embodiment of apparatus designed to employ the invention the conveying element for the removal of material of high specific gravity from the body of the fluid mass is an internal worm 6', either multithread as shown or single thread, ri idly attached to the body of said drum 1 and operating as a conveying element by rotation of drum 1' about its axis. The removal of the material of, high specific gravity through the functioning of conveying element 6 is accompaniedby a translationof said material over perforated segments 8 of drum 1, the portions of fluid mass ad- 'hering thereto being washed through the perforations of said segments by splra pipes 13 into collecting chute 12' by w 10 1 they are returiied to sump 27, from whence said portions of said fluid. mass are del1vered by pump 28 and conduit 29' to-the separating body of fluid mass contained in drum 1'. The materials of lower specific gravity are removed from drum 1' b overflow of a portion of the fluid mass t rough circular discharge weir 7, these materials passing over screen 9', in this case shown as a shaker screen, for the removal of that portionof the fluid mass overflowing with, or adhering to, said materials, said portions of said fluid mass passing through the perforations of screen 9 into collecting chute 12' and from thence into sump 27'; their return to the body of separating fluid mass contained in drum 1 being eflected by pump 28 and conduit 29 as in the case of fluid mass passing through segments 8'. Stationa'ry wing plates 14 are provided to prevent the separated' materials 'o'flower specific' gravity from floating over and into the conveying worm 6', these wing plates dipping below the surface of the fluid mass a sufiic ient distance to accomplish this end,

' returned 1n common with fand a stationary feed chute 18' is ro'vided se'pa- Y for introducin the materials to rated into the uid mass contained in drum 1. The wing plates 14' and chute 18' are carried by fixed supports 16. Hydraulic water is introduced through agitation pipes the fluid mass as indicated by the line A-A, 20', in this particular embodiment of appa- .',}'ratus shown as fixed in, space, but not necommon hydraulic water mlet 24'. Pumpmaserves to deliver a fixedvolume of fluid mass and liquid from sump 27 to druml,

this fixed volume continuousl overflowing discharge weir 7' and thus; unctionin as a conveying element for the remova? of materials 0 lower specific gravity floating at or near the top'of the fluid mass in drum 1' and between plates 14'. It will, therefore, be clear that pump 28 cannot return the excess liquid provided 20 and spray pipes 13' which liquid is said fixed volume of said fluid mass and delivered to sump 27 This excess liquid must therefore rise through sump 27 to overflow 30, from whence it is carried to waste or returned to'the agitation or spray system; B properly proportioning the apparatus t is upward current in sump 27 may be used to remove fine material of low specific gravity, either by said sump being operated as a pure hydraulic classifier or by a secondary fluid mass, agitated by said current, being maintained therein.

It will be clear from the foregoing that maintenance of the fluidic properties of the fluid mass ma be concurrently attained by the rotation o drum 1', the conveying effect by agitation pipes the apparatus shown in Figs. I and II being in the difierent method of removal of the se arated materials.

In t e drawings Figs. IV and V the separating receptacle is a rotating drum 1", formed by two truncated cones joined at their common base and with a common axis horizontally placed. Rotation is effected by rollers 2", supporting drum 1, through worm gear 3", keyed to s aft 4", and driven by worm and shaft 5". The conveying element for the material'of high-specific gravity is internal worm 6", ri idly attached to the interior of said drum 1 and the conveying element for that of low specific gravity is'also an internal worm 7 rigidly attached to said drum 1". These worms are shown as ofthe multi-thread t pe but it will be understood that single thread worms may be employed. The top of the fluid mass is indicated by the line B-B and av superimposed body of wash liquid may be carried.

ipes 13". The separating compartment is ormed by the walls of drum 1 co-acting with the stationary wing plates 14;", these latter functioning to prevent material of low specific gravity floating at or near the top of the fluid mass passingover into the heavy material worm 6, .These wing plates are fixed in position by stationary supports 16" which also serve to carry feed chute 18 bringing the materials to be separated into the separating compartment of the apparatus. Accidental translation of heavy material into the light material worm 7", is prevented by circular division plate 11".

The separated materials from the interior of drum 1" by worms 6 and 7 pass out of said drum and over screens 8 and 9", where further removal of portions of the fluid mass adhering to said materials is accomplished, accompanied if desired by further spraying. These portions of said fiuidmass, together with those passing through segments 8" and 9", are

transported by carrying chutes 12 to. a

draulic and spray li uid must passuipward in sump 27 to over ow 30", from ence it passes to waste or is returned to s pply 24". To maintain a constant level of the superimposed body of liquid, if such be employed, or of the fluid mass itself, if no body of liquid be used, the overflow is provided with the perforate segments 8" and 9.", at the points 19 on the drawing Fig. IV.

The operation of the apparatus just described is similar to that of-the types of apparatus shown'in Figs. I, II and III,,the only difference being in the method of retransportedmoval of the separated material. This type of apparatus is particularly advantageous when materials to be separated are friable,

as conveying worms of the type used' are adapted to handle friable materials with a small percentage of incidental breakage.

In the operation of my present invention it Wlll be understood that any mixture of suitable consistency consisting of a comminuted solid and a liquid may be used to form the fluid mass, provided the specific gravity of the resultant fluid mass is less than that of one of the materials to be separated and that it approximates or is greater than that of the other materials. Siliceous sand such as beach sand, or comminuted metallic oxides or sulphides such as magnitite or pyrite, or combinations of any of such materials, may be employed advantageously to form the solid constituent of the fluidmass, and in some cases 'comminuted iniddli'ngs or-coneentr'atesfmay be used. In general, said solid constituent may consist of any suitable solid that is substantiall insoluble in the liquid constituent an that does not tend to form a permanent suspension in said liquid, these characteristics being necessary in order that such comminuted solid may be reclaimed readily from the separated materials after they are removed from the fluid mass. The liquid constituent of the fluid mass may consist of water or'any other liquid of suitable properties and it will be understood that in the specification and claims hereof the terms water and liquid are used interchangeably to include such suitable liquid.

In the accompanying drawings the various adjunctive devices shown are intended to represent the general association of elements necessary to the operation of the method, but I do not limit myself to the use of the forms shown. The apparatus necessary for the operation of the method must always consist of the following elements, a rotatable receptacle adapted to contain a fluid mass of the described; type, means for maintaining the fluidity of said fluid mass, means, for introducing the material to be separated into said fluid mass and means for the removal of the separated material from said fluid mass after separa tion has been accomplished, the rotation of said receptacle acting to assist in the maintenance of said fluidity. It will be understood that the receptacle may be' of any desired shape or form that will permit of its performing the functions described and thatone or more such receptaclesmay be -employed. The receptacle may be rotated with uniform or varying angular velocity.

The means shown in the drawings for the --veying elements in common use, as other forms such as belt conveyors, scraper lines, sand-wheels etc. may readily be used by those skilled in the art. The feeding device shown. diagrammatically in the several drawings as a simple chute, may be of any desired type but preferably it should deliver the materials to be separated at or near the surface of the fluid mass, although this is not essential.

The fluidity of the fluid mass may be maintained by the co-action of the rotating receptacle, the conveying element for the re-. moval. of the material of high specific gravity and hydraulic liquid introduced within the body of the fluid mass. In some forms of apparatus, such for example as that shown in Figs. I and II, and IV and V, the conveying-element for the material of low specific gravity may also co-act to maintain said fluidity. In certain cases additional mechanical means may be provided for said maintenance of fluidity such as are shown diagrammatically in Fig. I of Patent, 1,224,138, issued to Thomas M.

Chance, May 1, 1917. Under some condi-' tions the mixing efl'ect produced by the rotation of the separating receptacle and its adjunctive elements may be suflicient for such maintenance without the addition of hydraulic liquid. It will be understood that an elastic fiuid such as air may re lace the hydraulic liquidfandwthat suche ast1c fluid or hydraulic-1 liquid, may have'eitheruniform or; ulsatin'g as described" in said Patent$16.}L224 128g; In some forms of apparatus.itginayfbe fdesirable to apply a portion of the energy vfor the maintenance of said fluidity to'portions ofthe fluld mass external to the separating receptacle. Such external application of energy may be applied by pumps,orothe'r means, it being readily understood by any skilled in the art that if apparatusof the type shown in Flg. III be properly proportioned it will be possible to 'con'tinuouslys re-circulate the fluid mass by means of the pump 28" and sump 27" in such manner that sufiici'ent energy will be applied by said pump, oo-

acting with the rotation of drum 1", to maintain the desired fluidity of the fluid mass, either with or without the introduction of hydraulic water through pipes 20".

Asdescribed in saiddatent No. 1,224:,138 any desired type of screens or classifying alpparatus may be used for maintaining t e comminuted solid in proper condition 'for producing the fluid-mass and for reclaiming said fluid mass from the separated material. Said patent further refers to means that may be usedfor the automatic, or otherwise, re lation of the-specific gravity and depth 0 the fluid mass and it will be understood that such means may likewise be employed in the operation of the present invention.

Under certain .conditions of operation the speed of rotation of the separating receptacle may be such as to effect the removal of the separated materials by the frictional contact of the surface of said rece tacle with said material, this henomenon eing similar to the cascade e ect commonly observed in the operation of some types of tube mills. It will be understood that under such conditions of operation the walls of the separating receptacle constitute the conveying element and bucket plates of the type shown in Figs. I and II hereof may be dispensed with. When so operated the speed of rotation must not be so great as to produce a centrifugal component that will seriously effect the fluid mass and septhe apparatus is useful in making such a threeart separation as that of coal, bone and s ate. It is, of course, obvious that multi-compartment machines of this type may be constructed for use in making multipart separations.

As already stated, the means used f0r removing theseparated' materials from the apparatus, arev shown dia ammatically as devices which are intende to. be typical of conveying appliances, such as belt and chain conveyors, scraper lines, rakes, etc. in common use as conveying elements. .It will be evident to those skilled in the art that it will be possible to use two or more of 'such conve mg elements 1n combination to efiect the esired result and that one such conveying element maybe used as auxiliary to another, such for example as the\.1se of a raking device to assist in moving a float- 'ing materialsuch as coal from the separating compartment into the second compart- 'ment from which it is to be discharged, or

the use of. a scraper or raking device to increase the capacity of a worm to deliver material.

In those types of apparatus in which the fluid mass occupies two so arate compartk ments as in Figs. I and I and IV and-V it will be evident that the specific gravity of the fluid masses occupying these compartments need not necessarily be equal, and that it may often be advantageous to use a lower specific gravity in the second compartment than-in thefirst and that this maybe accomplished readily .by increasing the hydraulic liquid supplied to the second compartment or by increased mechanical agitation in that compartment. operating the ap ratus illustrated by igs. I an II in this way and by introducing enough fluid mass to permit of its overflow through 19, the circular opening in the drum 1 at the left hand side of Fig. II being enlarged in diameter to confine the overflow to this fifrom said fluid mass.

' side of the drum, 19 being correspondinglfy lowered, the apparatus may be used to e feet a three part separation, thus slate and heavy refuse bein removed by 6, high-ash and bony coal, an laminated slate and coal, being removedby 7, while the purest, lightest and lowest ash coal overflows through 19* at the left hand side of the drum, overflow 19 at the right becoming ino erative. Having described my invention, claim: 1. An apparatus for the separation of materials of different specific gravity com- "duits being connected to a source of supply prising in combination a rotatable receptacle adapted to contain a fluid mass consisting of anagitated mixture of li uid and comminuted solids. insoluble in sai liquid; a fluid massof said type in said receptacle; means for maintaining, by rotation of said receptacle and by the introduction of liquid under pressure, the fluidic properties of said fluid mass said means comprisinglconduits extending into said receptacle and into said fluid mass, said conof liquid under ressure, a partition ex tending into said fluid mass adapted to confine the movement of materials floating in the upper part .of said fluid mass to a direction toward the region of discharge for 'said floating materials; means for introducing into said fluid mass the materials to be separated and means for removin materials, after separation has been e ected, 24,2. Apparatus for the washing of coal,

rating chamber; a fluid mass composed of said i an agitated mixture of sand and water coning such of said impurities as have been separated from said'floating coal by sinking in said fluid mass.

In testimony whereof 'I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, thlsfith day of July, 1922.

THOMAS M. CHANCE.

the region provided comprising in combination a rotatable sepa- 

